Powered by OpenAIRE graph
Found an issue? Give us feedback
addClaim

Apocalypticism and Popular Culture

Authors: Lorenzo DiTommaso;

Apocalypticism and Popular Culture

Abstract

This chapter examines apocalypticism in popular culture, based on a new understanding of apocalypticism as a historical and global worldview. The first sections describe apocalypticism, define popular culture, and discuss the role of fiction as the primary conduit through which the worldview is expressed today. The next section explores how apocalypticism can be identified and assessed in popular culture. The chapter then presents nine cases that illustrate the wide range of apocalyptic expression in contemporary popular culture: Neon Genesis Evangelion; The Matrix; Neuromancer; Promethea; The Stand; A Canticle for Leibowitz; the Left Behind series; new religious movements; and, finally, the 2012 “Mayan Apocalypse,” the Internet, and “superflat” apocalypticism. The chapter concludes with a section on the ever-increasing appeal of apocalyptic speculation in popular culture today.

Related Organizations
  • BIP!
    Impact byBIP!
    selected citations
    These citations are derived from selected sources.
    This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
    16
    popularity
    This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
    Top 10%
    influence
    This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
    Average
    impulse
    This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
    Average
Powered by OpenAIRE graph
Found an issue? Give us feedback
selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
16
Top 10%
Average
Average
Upload OA version
Are you the author of this publication? Upload your Open Access version to Zenodo!
It’s fast and easy, just two clicks!